Malaysia has launched the sixth round of its Large Scale Solar programme, which includes 1.25GW of battery energy storage capacity alongside 2.65GW of solar generation.
The Ministry of Energy Transition and Water Transformation (PETRA) said 2.5GW of the solar capacity offered under LSS6 would be developed with battery energy storage systems (BESS).
The programme is divided into three packages. The largest is an open tender for 2.2GW of solar and 1.1GW of BESS.
One package reserved for indigenous Malaysian peoples
A second package, reserved for Bumiputera-owned developers, covers 300MW of solar and 150MW of BESS. The third comprises 150MW of solar projects for smaller Bumiputera companies and does not require storage. Bumiputera is a Malaysian legal and policy term meaning “sons of the soil”. It generally covers ethnic Malays and the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, including indigenous communities in Sabah and Sarawak.
Projects proposed under the first two packages can range from 60MW to 500MW. Bidders must have experience developing solar projects, but previous experience of BESS projects is not compulsory.
PETRA said the combination of large-scale solar and battery storage was intended to improve the stability, flexibility and reliability of Malaysia’s electricity supply system.
The ministry has specified the power capacity of the storage procurement but has not disclosed an energy capacity in megawatt-hours or the required storage duration.
Priority will be given to bids using domestically manufactured renewable-energy products, including photovoltaic modules. Development will be concentrated in areas experiencing rapid growth in electricity demand, particularly southern Peninsular Malaysia.
The projects are expected to enter operation in stages and must reach commercial operation by 31 December 2029.
PETRA estimated LSS6 would attract MYR13–15 billion ($3.1–3.6 billion) of private investment and create between 15,000 and 20,000 jobs during project development and construction. It forecast the resulting solar capacity would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 2.6 million tonnes annually.
Request for proposal documents for the first two packages will be available from 27 July to 7 August. Documents for the smaller, solar-only Bumiputera projects will be offered from 17–28 August.
Photo: Kuala Lumpur skyline by Wengang Zhai on Unsplash
